Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 60 million people in the United States, where women are especially affected. Over one-third of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, the majority of them being African American or Mexican American. With more and more pre-packaged food and less and less activity, the number of obese people in America has steadily increased since the 1960's.
But what is obesity? Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight, but that's not exactly true. An overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health professionals concur that a man is obese if he has over 25 percent body fat, and a woman is obese if she has over 30 percent. Women physiologically have more body fat than men, so that why there's a difference in percentage.
It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tweezer-like tool called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds on different points of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers. You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures your body fat percentage. The most commonly used method to determine if a person is obese is to look at his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). A person with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese, and a BMI over 40 is considered to be severely obese. It's important to remember though that BMI could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in muscular individuals. There are some free tools to find your body fat percentage at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/body-fat-calculator.html.
With obesity, comes the increased risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In addition, obesity has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10 to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically decrease the risk of developing these serious conditions. In addition, many obese people are discriminated against and targets of insults and other verbal abuse. Find out if you are at risk for health disease using the health calculators at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/high-blood-pressure.html.
A number of factors, such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics, and certain medical disorders, cause obesity, but it can be conquered. One major obstacle to being more physically active is motivation and accountability. Find a friend with similar fitness goals and begin a simple exercise program together. It takes time to see the results, but your health is worth it!
Written by Shelley Hitz, Licensed Physical Therapist and Certified NASM Personal Trainer.
Sign up for her free Exercise Advice journal at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html or read more of her articles at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html. Get your free unbelievable abs ball workout http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html
If you're on a weight loss program you're under constant... Read More
The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals... Read More
A Little Help With Some Difficult terms ------------------------------------------ Aerobic... Read More
When it all comes down to losing or gaining weight,... Read More
Did you ever think about the fact that losing 2... Read More
Nowadays, so much of the public is obese (fat) that... Read More
What do you think of the hundreds of weight loss... Read More
The people of earlier times depended on the rich resource... Read More
Most Americans do not get enough calcium in their diets;... Read More
The human body is designed to run best on a... Read More
The average American eats about twice as much protein than... Read More
"Hey, you have reduced now, compared to the last time... Read More
Have you ever wondered why some fat people can be... Read More
- Are your ideas of obesity and fat control based... Read More
All weight loss diets make you FatThat's right, because on... Read More
How to Break Your PlateauToday is a typical morning like... Read More
Nothing is more disappointing than hearing a gastric bypass patient... Read More
You've heard the popular advice on weight loss diets. Cut... Read More
The weight loss protein debate centers around the effectiveness of... Read More
Losing weight and keeping it off is much more than... Read More
The first rule for successful weight loss and weight maintenance... Read More
There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The... Read More
Stop Weight From Creeping Up By Staying AwareEveryone has small... Read More
Are you often overcome with an urge to splurge on... Read More
"THE SECRET REMEDY OF THE ANCIENT WARRIORS"Since what would seem... Read More
executive chauffeured services Barrington Hills ..If you knew when you were going to die, would... Read More
"I've put on 40 pounds in one year!" "It doesn't... Read More
The latest trend in the area of weight loss is... Read More
Calorie burn can be really enhanced if you follow a... Read More
Obesity, once seen as akin to laziness and overeating, is... Read More
Diet is a dreadful word for most of us because... Read More
Not only was I fat, I was in poor health... Read More
We in the diet and exercise industry have our own... Read More
Lose Weight - Grab A GlassIn childhood, we heard it:... Read More
Here are the 4 things you need to know about... Read More
Do you compete in sports for weight loss or fat... Read More
Water is an essential component of the human body and... Read More
(Ailsa's Apple Crumble Diet)I'm Scottish, so it's not a big... Read More
Sometimes, just the thought of starting on a diet and... Read More
Diet advice ? a million "experts", hundreds of snake-oil miracle... Read More
Q: I've heard you mention that you don't need tons... Read More
I am so proud of you and your accomplishments. You're... Read More
Fat Loss Tip #3) Proper Meal FrequencyMeal Frequency (i.e., the... Read More
Yesterday, out of the blue, without any foreboding gossip or... Read More
The human body is designed to run best on a... Read More
Cardio Exercise...A huge variety of fitness activities provide cardiovascular benefits.... Read More
Humanity is always in search of a wonder drug that... Read More
You step on the scale and groan at the number... Read More
Low self-esteem produces a game of control. It causes a... Read More
Fat burning exercise is not merely one that will burn... Read More
Weight Loss |